The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-12-07


gate to 4, ,2i4,023 leaving 2623,0s9 persons EN-.
ployed In such manufacturing industries as
are claimed TO be benefited by high tariff.
To these the appeal IL made 70 save THAR en-
ployment ana maintain their wages by resist
ing change. There should be no disposition
70 answer such suggestions oy the allegation
labor, and therefore shoulc forego an advantage,
in the interest Of low prices for the majority.
he aneretian oS tsrit laws shouid At All times
be sctupuloufly kept in view; and yet with
slight reflection they will not overlook the TACT
that they are consumers with ths rest; that they
TOO, have their own wants and those OF their
families 70 supply from their earnings, and that
the price OF the necessaries Of life, as well as the
amount OF their wages, will regulate the meas
ure OF their welfare and comfort
HOW TO MEASURE THE REDUCTION.
But the reduction OF taxation demanded
should be so measured as mot 10 necesslate or
working man nor The lessening Of his wages
and the profits still remaining 70 the manutac-
tuTer, after the necessary readJustment should
furnish no excuse for the sacrifice ol the IN
ttrtsis of his EN- ployes, either in their oppor-
tLnity 10 work or ia the diminution oil their
COMPENSATION. Nor can the worker 70 mlqu
faLturcs fail to understand that while high
tsrih is Claimed 70 be necessary 10 allow the
payment OF rem lucrative wages, 1. certainly
results in avery large increase in the price OF
nearly all sorts OF manufactures, which, in
almost countless forms, he needs for the use Of
himssf and family. He receives at the desk OF
his employer his wages, and perhaps before he
family use OF an article which embraces his own
labor, TO return in the payment Of the increase
IN price which the tariff permits, the hard
earned ompentauon OF many days OF toll.
THE WOOL TARIFF.
The farmer and the agriculturist who manu-
iacture nothing, but who pay the increased
puee which the tariff imposes upon every agri-
cultural implement, upon all he wears and upon
all he uses and owns, except the increase OF his
stocks ano herds and such things as his hus-
bandry produces from the toil. is invoked 70
aid in maintaining the present situation; and
he is told that high duty on imported wool is
necessary for the beneat OF those who have
sheep to shear, in order that the price OF their
wool may be increased. They, OF course, are
not reminded that the farmer who has no sEeep
is by this scheme obliged, in his purchases OF
clothing and woolen goods, to pay tribute to
his fellow-farm ss we'll as to the manufacturer
and merchant; nor is any mention mace of the
fact that the sheep owners themselves and their
| households must wear clothing and use other
articles manufactured from the wool they sell
at tariff prices, and thus as consumers, must re-
turn their share OF this increased price to the
| tradesmaD, so
| proportion OF the sheep owned by the farmers
throughout the country are found in small
| aoeks numbering from twenty-five to fifty The
duty on the grade OF imported wool which these
/ sheep yield is ten cents each pound, il of the
value of thirty cents or less and twelve cents If OF
| the value OF more than thiriycents II the liberal
estimate of six pounds be allowed for each
| fleece. the duty thereon would be sixty or sew
| enty-two cents, and this may be taken the
/
Dy reason OF this duty. Eighteen dollars would
| thus represent the increased price of the wool
/ from twenty-five sheep, and $50 that from the
| wool OF fifty sheep and AZ present values this
/ addition would amount to about onethird OF
/ price. II upon its sale the farmer receives
| this or less tariff profit. the wool leaves his
/ hands charged with precisely that sum, which
in its changes will adhere to il until ii reaches
| the consumer. When manufactured into cloth
| and other goods and material for use its cost is
| not only increased to the extent OF the farmsr s
/ tariff profit, but further sum has been added
| for the benefit of the manufacturer under tne
/ operation of other tariff laws.
| In the meantime the day arrives when the
| farm er finds il necessary to purchase woolen
| goods and material TO oelothe himself and fam
| lily for The winter. When he faces the trades
man for that purpose he discovers that he is
| obliged not only to return in the wsy OF in
! creased prices, his tariff profit Oh the wool he
| sold, and which then, perhaps, lies before him
in manufactured form, but that he must add a
| considerable sum thereto to meet further in
| crease in cost caused ty tariff duty on the
( n manufacture. Thus in the end he is aroused to
/ the fact that he has paid upon a moderate pur-
| chase as y result of the tariff scheme, which,
when he sold his wool seemed so profitable an
| incr sse in price, more than sufficient to sweep
away all the tariff profit he received upon the
/ WOOL he produced ard sold.
/ When the number of farmers engaged in
wool raising Is compared with AL the farmers
| IN the country, and the small proportion thev
/ bear to our popula ion is considered; when it
| l. made apparent that, in the case OF q large
part OF those who ot sheep, the benefit OF the
present tariff on wool is illusoTy ana, above ali,
when il must be conceded that the increase OF
the cost OF living caused by such tariff becomes
buTdtn upon those with moderate means and
| the poor. The employed and unemployed, the
sick and we'll, ana the young and old. and that
II constitutes tax which, with relentless grasp,
is fastened upon the clothing OF every man,
woman End child in the land, reasons are sug-
2ested Why the removal or reduction of tfis
I Gu should be included in a revision OF our
tariff laws
INCREASED COST AND ABUSES.
In speaking Of the increased cost TO the con.
I home mfaCtTlrp- f1np iron
a duty laid upon I'm rted articles of the same
description, the fact is rot overlooked thai
competition among our domestic producers
sometimes has the effect of keeping the price
OF their products below the highest limit al
lowed by such duty. But it is notorious thai
This competition is 100 often stIangled by com.
binaaons quite prevalent at this time aud FIRE
quentlY called trusts, which have for their OBJ
lect the regulation OF the tupply and price C
commodities made and sold by members of the
combination. The peopleean hardly hope for
any consideration in the operation OF these
selfish schemes: If. however, in the absence ol
such com bins ton, heslthy and free competi
tion reOuces The price of any particular dutia
bic article OF home production below the limit
winch 1t might otherwise reach under our tar
III laws. and If, with such reduced price, III
manufacture continues to thrive, it is entirely
evident that one thing has been discovered
which should be carefully scrutinized in an ef
fort to reduce ta1 alton.
The necessity of combination to maintain the
price OF any commodity to the tariff point
furnishes proof that someone is willing to acep
",
prices are remun erative, and lower prices pro
dueed by competition prove the same thing
Ihus where either OF these conditions exist,
case would seem to be presented for an easy re
duetion of taxation.
The considerations which have been pre-
sented touching our tariff laws are intended
only to enforce an earnest recommendation
that the surplus revenue of the Government bt
prevented by the reduction of our custom dut
les ana, at the same time, to emphasize a sug
gestion that in accomplishing this purpose, VIZ
may discharge double duty to our people BY
granting to them measure OF relief from tarif
taxation in quarters where II is most nee5eJ
and from sources where il can be most fairly
and justly accorded
OUR MANUFACTURES.
Nor can the presentation made OF such con
sloerauons be, with any degree OF fairness re
gsrded as evidence of unfrIendliness toward oul
manufacturing interests or OF any lack OF appre
citation OF their value and importance. These
interests constitute a Leading and most su ubs tan
lial element OF our rational greatness and fur
nlsh the proud proof { our country's progress
But If in the emergency that presses upon M
our manu- facturers are asked TO surrender
something for the public good and to avert dis
aster, their patriotism, as well as a grateful rec
0gnition OF advantages already afforded, should
lead them to willing cooperation. No demand
is made that they shall forego all the benefits O
governmental regard but they cannot fail L
be admonished OF their duty as well as thei
enlightened selfinterest and safety when theI
are reminded of the fact that financial panft
tends, afford no greater shelter or protection Il
! our manufacturers than to our other i'm portan
enterprises Opportunity for safe, careful anC
deliberate reform Is now offered; and rome o
| US should be unriadful of q time wheu al
abused and irriiated people, heefless of thos'